Gurung community must start mother tongue preservation campaign: Minister Gurung

August 20, Kathmandu: Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung emphasised the urgent need for the Gurung community to launch a campaign to preserve their mother tongue, starting from the household level. Speaking at the launch of the “Tamu Kae” magazine by the Nepal Academy, he highlighted the growing risk of language and cultural erosion due to migration within the indigenous Gurung community.

Minister Gurung stressed that a community’s identity is reflected in its language and culture, urging the Gurung community to be proactive in preserving their heritage. “Language preservation begins at home,” he said, warning that without immediate action, the art, culture, and language inherited from ancestors could vanish. While commending the Nepal Academy for publishing the Tamu language magazine, he reiterated that true preservation depends on family and community efforts.

He also noted that the federal democratic republic aims to foster an inclusive society, but the Gurung community has not fully utilised constitutional opportunities for inclusion in mainstream governance. He encouraged the community to leverage these provisions to strengthen their presence in state mechanisms.

At the event, Resam Gurung, Vice-President of the National Foundation for Development of Indigenous Nationalities, highlighted ongoing efforts to document indigenous languages, cultures, and lifestyles. He expressed concern over the low participation of Gurungs in civil service, despite free training programs offered by the foundation.

Nepal Academy Chancellor Bhupal Rai emphasised the importance of publishing mother tongue magazines to foster a sense of ownership among all communities.

Rajan Mukarung, head of the Academy’s Mother Tongue Department, noted that only four mother tongue magazines have been published so far.  Public Service Broadcasting Nepal Board Member Anita Gurung, who is also executive editor of “Tamu Kae,” shared the challenges of transcribing the Gurung language into script, emphasising that the magazine captures authentic village dialects, arts, and culture.